This is an idea that I have been entertaining recently. I know that stories with a similar premise have been written so I will try to keep this as original as I can. No plagiarism intended. I do not own either Legend of Korra or Harry Potter. They belong to Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and J.K. Rowling.

-Line Break-

"Ready, Set, Go!" Korra yelled as Ryuukhan leaped into the spinning gates, determination in his eyes. Easily slipping between the first two gates, he began navigating his way through them, making sure to keep his feet together and doing his best to avoid over-thinking. To his mounting frustration, he found himself tracing back his steps quite a few times to avoid the spinning gates. It seemed like just as he caught a glimpse of the other side, a gate would force him to back-track or side-step and he would lose it once again.

'Patience!' he thought to himself. 'You'll get there! Don't get distracted!'

Just as he spun around another gate, he caught sight of Jinora and realized that he was nearly there. Grinning in triumph, he paused to appreciate the moment only to get slammed from behind, sending him reeling into the gate in front of him. Catching himself as he staggered back, he tried to regain the momentum but found himself surrounded by spinning gates. Panicking, he charged forward only to be slammed from behind and forcefully ejected from the gates, landing hard on his face and skitting a foot or two across the courtyard.

"Ryuukhan!" Jinora yelled as she ran toward him. "Are you all right?!"

"Yeah," he muttered, spitting out dirt and grit. "No worse than usual."

"Do you need a healer?" Korra asked as she raced around the gates.

Blinking the dirt from his eyes, Ryuukhan looked on the ground and found no sign of blood, much to his relief. Patting his face, he felt his skin burn hot underneath but not the stinging sensation that would indicate a fresh cut or scrape. Pulling his hand away he found it covered in a fresh layer of dirt but nothing more.

"No, I don't think so." he said finally as he stood up, wincing slightly before smiling. "I almost made it through. Jinora, I saw you near the end. There were only two or three gates left!"

"Maybe today you'll finally make it through!" Korra said excitedly. "Then you can move on to fighting instead of that meditation stuff!"

"Or those books with all the weird words!" he added.

"And what, may I ask, has gotten the two of you so excited?" an all-too familiar voice broke in. Turning, they saw Tenzin approaching from the stairs, his eyebrow raised in curiosity on his otherwise stoic face.

"I nearly made it through the gates!" Ryuukhan proclaimed loudly. "I was only two or three gates away from Jinora!"

"Excellent!" Tenzin said as he quickened his pace. "How did you get so close?"

"It was like you said Tenzin," Ryuukhan replied. "I was overthinking things, so I got distracted. But when I let it all go and simply reacted to my environment I could make all the right moves when I needed to."

"I'm guessing you got distracted when you saw Jinora," Tenzin said, a slight curl, almost like a smile on his lips. "And that's when you were bounced out by the gates."

"Yes," Ryuukhan muttered, his mood souring significantly. "When I saw Jinora so close I paused to savor the moment, and that's when the gates got me."

"Well, you're almost ready." Tenzin replied, smiling slightly. "How about you take a break while Korra takes her turn?"

"Sure thing Tenzin!" Korra replied while Jinora swept her arms to start spinning the gates once again.

"Wish me luck!" she said to her brother as she charged head-on into the gates.

'She's gonna need it.' Ryuukhan thought, as he waited alongside Tenzin. 'Maybe she'll make it this time.'

For a moment, all was silent save for the humming of the gates, making his eyes widen in surprise. Then he caught a glimpse of Korra through the gates and much to his surprise she was about halfway through. But just as she disappeared he heard a body slam hard into a solid surface followed by Korra grunting in pain. Soon after it was followed by a series of pained grunts before Korra was ejected by the gates, slamming hard on her backside.

'What happened?' he thought as he saw Korra get up and charge right back into the gates. This time, however, he heard her grunts and groans of pain even earlier than before and soon enough she was on her hands and knees before him, bruised and dizzy from the experience.

Growling in frustration, Korra punched the ground and turned to charge right back into the gates just when Ryuukhan grabbed her wrist and yelled out "Stop!".

Korra turned to him, her eyes afire with frustration and anger and teeth flared like a polar wolf. Much to his relief, her expression softened when she saw who had grabbed her.

"Breathe," Ryuukhan said, inhaling and exhaling slowly, enticing her to do the same. "Be like water."

Seeing her breathing deep, Ryuukhan let go of her wrist…only to jump back when she stomped the ground hard, sending a tremor through the earth as little pillars popped up under his feet.

"Sorry brother," she said, before exhaling hard. "I had to get it out somehow. It's just so frustrating."

"I understand Korra." Tenzin interjected. "You will master this, but you must be patient. Perhaps you could let Ryuukhan go again?"

"No!" Korra snapped, surprising them both before using a less aggressive tone. "I mean, no. I can do this."

Turning back to the slowing gates, she flung herself back in before Tenzin could send them spinning again. Seeing her disappear, Ryuukhan turned to Tenzin and asked "Should we spin them now while she's already inside?"

Much to his surprise, Tenzin turned to him and, with a strange twinkle in his eyes, said "I think that might be a good lesson in patience, young man." and swept his arms, spinning them once again. Soon enough they heard Korra grunt and groan in pain before bouncing back out and landing flat on her back.

"Patience Korra." Tenzin said. "You ran in before I could restart the gates. Ryuukhan, your turn now."

"Sorry sis." he said sheepishly, before heading for the gates. Breathing deeply, he ran in, deftly slipping between the first two gates. Seeing another coming for him, Ryuukhan pirouetted to the side, making sure to keep his arms tight and close to his chest. After a moment he caught a glimpse of Jinora through the gates, but to his disappointment found about four gates in-between him and the exit.

Just as he felt frustration mounting, he quickly pirouetted to the right, barely avoiding an incoming gate. Breathing deep, he tried to focus on merely reacting to the gates but just as he caught another glimpse of Jinora only two gates away, he found himself being slammed from behind. Desperately, he tried to regain his initiative but he had lost sight of himself among the gates and soon he was ejected, landing right next to Korra.

"Only two gates to go." he said, staring up at his sister and Tenzin. "I was so close I could almost reach her."

"Well it's Korra's turn again." Tenzin stated before sweeping his arms to restart the spinning. "Remember, patience Korra."

Exhaling hard, Korra threw herself into the contraption, slipping in-between the gates but before long they could hear her grunts and groans along with the all-too familiar sound of her body slamming against the wood. Wincing with her obvious distress, Ryuukhan could only watch as she flew out and splayed out across the ground in front of him and Tenzin.

Running toward her, he asked "Sis, are you okay?" but all he got was a frustrated yell as she jumped herself onto her feet and eyed the spinning gates with a raging fire in her eyes. Recognizing the signs, Ryuukhan stomped the ground to send a wave of earth rippling toward Korra's feet just as she drew back her right arm for a fire-punch. Just as the flames formed around her fist, the ripple shot upward into a small column of earth, causing her to stumble flat onto her back and launch her fire-ball harmlessly into the air.

"Korra, what were you thinking?!" Tenzin yelled as she pulled herself back to her feet. "That is a two-thousand-year-old historical treasure! What…what is wrong with you?!"

"There's nothing wrong with me!" Korra yelled back in frustration. "I've been practicing just like you taught me, but it isn't sinking in, okay?"

"Actually it is." Ryuukhan interjected, stopping the incoming argument. "Remember when we first started? You were ejected almost immediately. But over the weeks you've gotten better and better."

"Then why am I doing so poorly now?!" Korra snapped, causing her brother to jump back slightly. "Sorry, it's just so frustrating."

"I know," Ryuukhan reassured. "But sometimes we slip up. Some things take longer than others, and moving forward isn't always smooth. When we were learning Earthbending I had a week where I could barely move pebbles after working a month to levitate rocks weighing up to 30 pounds. Remember?"

After a brief pause she nodded. "Yes, you were so frustrated and confused. You, you were really upset over it." she said softly, remembering his reaction.

"But we worked through that," he pressed on, trying to bury his old memories. "This could be similar to that. Maybe next week or next time you'll make it through. But how can you know until you try it? And how can you try it if you fry your training equipment?"

Exhaling slowly, Korra slumped forward and said "You know me too well little brother.".

"Well, we are siblings after all," he shrugged. "How about we take a little break?"

"What's wrong?" Korra asked, smiling wryly. "You're too sore to go at it again?"

"You're one to talk!" he snarked, eyes wide in shock. "You look like one of Naga's chew toys!"

"I bet I can still take you!" she dared. "Feel free to forfeit now?"

"Oh you're on, sis!" he replied. "Name the challenge!"

"Grappling, right here, right now!" she challenged, getting into her stance. "No punches, kicks, or Bending. And no biting!"

"That was just a reflex!" he snapped defensively. "And only one time!"

"Well any more 'reflexes' like that and you lose automatically," she declared. "Best of three."

"Okay!" he said, getting into his own stance. "And the stakes are that the winner gets the loser's desserts!"

"What?! No way!" she yelled, affronted.

"You should have specified the stakes beforehand," he replied, wagging his finger. "Otherwise the opponent gets to decide instead. But feel free to forfeit now if you prefer."

"Oh you're gonna get it now!" she huffed. "Ready!"

"Set!" he replied.

"Go!" they yelled together before throwing down, much to the chagrin of their Airbending master who could only roll his eyes.

Slowly, they circled each other like vulture-wasps, daring each other to make the first move. Impatient, Ryuukhan lunged in before pulling back, causing Korra to back off in surprise. Angry at his feint, Korra lunged in, trying to grab her brother's arm, only to feel him brush her arm aside and grab her around the throat. Without missing a beat, he pushed her down, sending them tumbling into the dirt and throwing up a cloud of dust and dried grass.

But before he could pin her down, Korra grabbed his arm and wrapped her legs around his chest, locking him into a classic triangle lock. Realizing this, he grabbed her free hand and pulled his legs underneath him before driving a foot under her. Feeling her body lift up, he pinned down her free arm with his foot before kicking himself up and out.

Just as he hit the ground Korra pulled her legs out and jumped up, wrapping her arm around his neck and pinning one arm with her shoulder. Desperately he tried to keep his arm free by pressing it to his forehead, but the shock of her knee to his ribs stunned him long enough for her to finish the choke. He then tried twisting himself away but his sister's hold was too strong, and he felt himself well and truly stuck.

"One, two, three," he heard Tenzin intone, apparently deciding to play the referee. Realizing he was well and truly done, he tapped the ground three times, signaling that round one had concluded.

"Korra one, Ryuukhan none." Korra smirked as she released him.

"But not for long!" he replied, signaling the start of round two.

Once again, the siblings found themselves circling. Ryuukhan, clearly itching for payback, lunged forward only to watch as Korra grabbed his shirt and dropped to the ground. Twisting, she threw him over her shoulder and landed him flat on his back, knocking the breath from him. Seeing this, he swung his legs up and tried to grab her only to feel her knee pin down his shoulder once again followed by a strong grip on his arm. Seeing her lean down for a scarf lock, he wrapped his free hand around her waist, locking his hands together before bringing his legs underneath him. Pushing up with his hips, he brought her head to the ground before quickly rolling over, freeing himself and landing her flat on the ground.

Just as Korra huffed in pain, he pinned her arm across her face before scrambling on top of her, wrapping his arm around her neck and digging his ankles into her legs. Pinning down her arm and legs, Ryuukhan held on tight even as she tried to escape. He felt her legs strain against his ankles, and her hot breath on his neck as she tried to wriggle free of his grip, but he refused to let go.

"One, two, three," he heard Tenzin intone, almost to his relief. Unfortunately, hearing the countdown made Korra struggle more fiercely, almost breaking his hold on her legs. Not about to let her escape, he tightened his grip on her arm, distracting her long enough to reestablish his lock on her legs.

"Six, seven, eight," Tenzin counted, encouraging Ryuukhan to hold on tight. Korra desperately tried to wriggle her head to free her hand but Ryuukhan held on tight, even as his muscles and face burned in the struggle.

"Nine, ten!" Tenzin declared, ending the round in Ryuukhan's favor. Smirking in victory, Ryuukhan released Korra from his ostrich-horse lock and pulled himself up.

"The score's even now, sis," he said, reaching down to help her up. "Round three will be the tie-breaker."

"That'll make eating your desserts all the sweeter, brother." she replied as she patted herself off.

"Just what I was thinking." he said, brushing himself off.

"Ready?" she asked, taking her stance.

"Set," he replied, mirroring her.

"Go!" they yelled, beginning their third and final round, Tenzin and Jinora watching intently.

At first neither sibling made the first move, instead circling cautiously around each other, looking for an opportunity. Then Ryuukhan darted in, his arm outstretched, forcing Korra to jump back in surprise. But just as she tried to grab him, he jumped back out of her reach, much to her annoyance. In response, Korra lunged forward, arms outstretched, apparently aiming to grab his shirt. Ryuukhan simply swatted her hand away and reached for her throat, only for her to dart back out of reach.

This back-and-forth lasted for a moment or two before, suddenly, Ryuukhan darted in trying to grab her shirt. In response, Korra tried to grab his wrist to lock him in, but Ryuukhan smirked before ducking beneath her arm and sidestepping her. Grabbing her from behind he prepared to ram her overhead, but she squatted down and hooked her leg behind his, causing him to stumble and send both of them crashing into the ground.

As he tried to regain his grip, Ryuukhan felt Korra roll underneath, placing him on her back. Baffled at this, he then felt her arms grab the back of his head before rolling forward, flipping him overhead. Landing on his back, he rolled to the side just as Korra tried to lock him in a scarf hold. Getting to his knees, he lunged forward and knocked her backwards, trying to pin her down only to feel her legs wrap on his left side before being thrown to his right. Now on his stomach, he tried to roll away only to realize that Korra had pinned him down, wrapping his neck with her legs and locking his arm in an armbar.

"One, two, three," he heard Tenzin starting the countdown. Remembering Asami's training, he tried to walk over her back to flip himself up and break the grip, but Korra thrust her leg down on his back, preempting him from that escape.

"Six, seven, eight," Tenzin continued. Breathing hard, he thrusted up with all his strength to try again, but Korra was too strong and for good measure had pulled upward where her remaining leg wrapped around his neck, stretching out his throat and making it harder to breathe.

"Ten!" Tenzin yelled out, signaling the end of the round, and the contest.

"Yes!" Korra yelled out in triumph. Releasing her grip, she stood up and did a small victory dance while Ryuukhan coughed a few times from her neck choke.

"Oh spirits!" he heard her cry out. Turning, he saw not joy or triumph but shame and shock. "I'm sorry Ryuukhan! I got carried away!"

"Do you need a healer?" Jinora cried out, kneeling down beside him.

Breathing a few times, Ryuukhan replied "No, I should be fine."

Turning to Korra he added, "Great move by the way. I'll have to remember that."

"Still, I believe a visit to the healer would be wise." Tenzin stated, clearly not in the mood for an argument. "Jinora, escort him to Pema. Korra, I would like a word with you."

Seeing that arguing would get them nowhere, Ryuukhan and Korra nodded and parted ways, but not before he gave her a smile reassuring her that he was fine while Jinora led him to the healer's room.

-Line Break-

"What am I going to do with you?" Pema asked as she looked him over. "First you get yourself banged up in the gates, and then your sister chokes you in a grappling match."

"To be fair, I did try to suplex her." he replied. "If I had done it wrong it could have been just as bad, if not worse, than what happened to me."

"How so?" she asked, clearly confused. "What's so dangerous about a suplex?"

"If I had landed her wrong," he clarified. "I could have caused a concussion, severe brain trauma, or even death by straining or snapping her neck. NOT the best idea of mine."

"By the Spirits!" Pema exclaimed. "Why did you think to do that?!"

"Guess I got caught up in the moment." he replied, ashamed of his decision. "I was so focused on beating her that I lost sight of what I was about to do. For my pride, and a little extra dessert, I almost did something truly dangerous and reckless."

"Sounds like Aang after Jeong Jeong." Pema said. "At least you recognize your mistake. So why did you learn it?"

"Asami taught it as a finishing move," he answered. "In case I run into the likes of the Animals Tong again. This way, I can put them down for good!"

"Are you sure about that?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." he replied, after a moment of thought. "After what they've done to Xin and to others, they deserve anything that happens to them."

"Speaking of which, how are Xin and Asami?" Pema asked, seizing the chance to divert his attention.

"Physically they're doing all right." he said, eyes furrowed in thought. "But they're very worried about their father. He's been pulling in all-nighters for over a month now, so he looks exhausted in the morning. Once he came down with his hand covered in bandages and smelling burned, but he refused to go see a Healer, saying it wasn't 'that bad'."

"Not 'that bad'?" Pema asked, clearly not believing it. "How did the girls take it?"

"Asami says that he's been injured before." he replied. "When you're an inventor you often risk injuring yourself. Teo's father is a prime example. But he normally keeps Asami in the know so she can help him. She's offered to help, multiple times, but he says he wants to 'keep her safe'."

"'Keep her safe'? From what?" Pema asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't know!" he snapped, causing Pema to leap back in fright. "The Tong? The Triads? His inventions? We just don't know! And there's so little information!"

Exhaling hard after his outburst, Ryuukhan managed to calm himself down before resuming. Pema, seeing his anger abated, returned to her seat and said, "But you do have some information?"

"Yeah, some." he replied. "Xin wrote down what she remembered from one of Mr Sato's papers. Asami says it looks like a schematic of some kind, likely a gauntlet, and the numbers may indicate units of energy. I think it's some kind of weapon and that Mr Sato hurt himself when he was building or testing it."

"A weapon against whom?" Pema asked.

"Who knows?" he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "And what's more? Ms. Tsui has been visiting more or less regularly, but always at night, when the Triads are most active. So why hasn't she been attacked or harassed? How does she do it?"

"You're thinking she's in league with the Triads?" Pema asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Maybe." he said, raising his hands. "Either that or she's got seriously powerful friends. But who? And why would they be interested in Mr Sato?"

"Have you asked Tenzin about this?" Pema asked, causing him to lock eyes with her. "I'm guessing not. Why not?"

"I, I just haven't gotten around to it." he replied. "There wasn't a lot to go off of, and we were all so busy. Korra and I were training, Tenzin was running Republic City, and everything else. There never seemed to be a good time to bring it up."

"Well, maybe you and Korra can talk to him about it today." Pema suggested. "Let him know that you were trying to gather info before making any hasty decisions. Tell him that you two are concerned for your friends and that he, or someone, should look into it."

"Look into what?" a voice interjected. Turning, they saw Tenzin and Korra standing in the doorway.

"If this is about Mr Sato," he continued, cutting off Ryuukhan's reply. "Korra told me about it. I would have preferred if you told me earlier, but I understand your decision to acquire more information before taking action. I will speak to Chief Beifong regarding your suspicions."

"Thanks Tenzin." Ryuukhan said, jumping off the table. "Sorry for keeping you in the dark."

"Think of it no further." Tenzin replied, waving it off. "What is done is done. We need to focus on the future, which for you two will be meditation followed by dinner, where we can discuss your concerns about Mr Sato. Now if you would follow me."

-Line Break-

"Well, that was an interesting discussion last night." Korra mused as she and Ryuukhan stretched themselves on the beach. "He didn't outright say it, but I don't think he believes us."

"Yeah, but that's kind of expected." he replied. "After all, we're just kids to him."

"You are at any rate." she teased, a smile forming on her lips. "You're only about Jinora's age."

"That means I'm about Aang's age when he saved the world." he huffed indignantly.

"Sure," she acquiesced. "But he still acted like a kid from time to time, like that marble trick of his."

"That doesn't change the fact that he saved the world from Ozai." he pressed.

"Nor does it change the fact that he liked that marble trick." she replied, causing him to huff impatiently.

"Anyway," she said. "Tenzin knows about the Sato situation and will inform Lin to keep an eye on things there."

"But it seems like," he stalled, trying to think of the right words. "Like changing the line after it has snapped. I feel like we should be doing more!"

"Such as?" Korra asked, causing him pause. "Stake out the Sato Estate? Follow Ms. Tsui when she comes knocking? Break into Mr Sato's office and steal his papers? Dog-tie him and force him to talk?"

"We should be doing something!" he burst out, frustrated and impatient. "Every day it seems Triad activity gets worse and worse, from muggings to arson to disappearances. And our friends are in the middle of something, and what are we doing about it?!"

"I'll tell you what we're doing!" she exclaimed, stopping him short. "We are training, studying, preparing. We are talking with Tenzin and the Sato family. We are working hard for when the whale-squid hits the boat. And I know we're ready!"

As he mulled over her words, a smile formed on Ryuukhan's lips while a determined fire burned in his eyes. Smiling in turn, Korra turned her eyes back to Republic City when she caught a glimpse of Aang's statue and felt a chill run through her body. While she had seen his statue many times in the past, it never ceased to fill her with awe and amazement.

'He's only my age,' she thought. 'Yet he accomplished so much. So much to live up to.'

Just then a sound broke her from her musings, faint, yet chillingly familiar. Focusing her ears she picked up a rhythm as the sound grew louder and more distinct. Looking out to the city she saw metallic gray airships hovering overhead.

Then realization hit her. The sound was police sirens.

And the airships were right over City Hall, where she saw plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

Without thinking she raced to the stables where Naga and Hina were waiting for them, Ryuukhan close behind her. Slamming the gate open, she heard the Sky Bison groan and rumble in agitation while she grabbed her saddle and ran to Naga.

"Hey girl," she said, taking hold of the reins and leading Naga out. "Looks like we're in luck: we're going for a run in Republic City."

Hearing this, the polar bear dog licked Korra's face as they exited the stables, eager for a run through the City. Laughing, Korra placed the saddle on Naga's back and mounted her. But before she could take off she saw Ryuukhan doing the same with Hina.

"Uh bro," she said, drawing his attention. "Perhaps you better wait here. I'll go check it out."

"Why you sis?" he asked, stopping her words short. "Perhaps you should wait here and I'll go check it out."

"Oh no!" she replied, aghast at the idea. "I'm not having you run head-on into danger again! Remember last time?"

"I'm not running head-on into danger!" he snapped. "I'm checking it out, as in I'll go see what's happening. If it's dangerous, then I'll head out of there."

"Things can still go wrong!" she pressed. "What if Hina gets attacked? Or you get captured? Or worse?"

"I could ask the same of you!" he snapped back. "You think I don't know this could be dangerous? I'm not going to let you charge head-on without help! Remember the last time we were separated? That's not going to happen again!"

"It's still dangerous!" Korra yelled exasperated at his stubbornness.

"And that's why we need to go together!" he yelled back. "I'll go in and scout it out before reporting back to you. Then we can make a plan on what to do next, so we're not diving head-first into dark waters. We need a plan, and for that we need info."

"I can get it." she replied.

"I can get it faster." he stressed. "How are you two going to get there? Hina can't carry Naga, and she's faster than a ferry or a swimming polar bear dog."

"She's also far more visible." she countered.

"I can hop over the buildings from two or three blocks away." he proposed. "She can rest while I scout ahead, and when I get back you would have caught up with her."

"And how would I know where you've landed?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"How many other wyvern-hawks are there in Republic City?" he asked, equally frustrated. "I'm sure Hina will be easily recognizable wherever we land."

"Republic City is a big place." Korra replied.

"And don't forget you'll have Naga's nose the whole way." he snapped, stopping her short. "Back at the South Pole when we practiced tracking, Naga could pick up Hina's scent from two miles away, even after a snowstorm blew in. Tracking her in Republic City should be child's play."

"Republic City has way more obstacles than the South Pole did." she retorted. Both siblings sighed in frustration, while their mounts, sensing the tension in the air, nervously shifted beneath them.

"How about this?" he proposed. "I'll go on ahead and land near Police HQ while you and Naga get across Yue Bay. I'll try to find out the situation and wait for you there. Once we get there we can figure out the best move."

"Why didn't you propose that in the first place?" she asked, exasperated at the simplicity of his solution.

"I only thought about it just now." he shrugged. "I wish I had thought of it earlier though. It would have saved us from arguing."

"Nothing to do about it now." she sighed as she pressed into Naga's back. "All right, I'll see you there. But you better be ready for trouble. Chief Beifong will probably have a few words to say about you flying Hina around."

"Eh, what else is new?" he asked, earning a laugh as they directed Naga and Hina toward the beach. "She'll charge me with 'violating Republic City air-space' or something and Tenzin will yank on his beard at our antics. Same old, same old."

"You are a minor though," she pondered. "So she can't try you as an adult. It'll probably be on Tenzin to punish you."

"And what can he do?" he chuckled. "Spank me? Ground me? Put me on a fasting regime?"

"I don't know but he'll think of something." she said, smiling. "I'll see you at Police HQ. Good luck."

"You too." he said, smiling with a thumbs-up.

Turning back to the bay, Korra exhaled slowly while extending her arms, forming a sheet of ice at the beach. Urging Naga forward, the polar bear dog stepped onto the ice and dug her massive claws deep into the surface, hooking onto the ice and maintaining a solid footing. Smiling, Korra waved her arms back, channeling water around them and pushing them off into the bay.

As the ice-flow raced from the beach, she heard Ryuukhan yell from behind, followed by Hina crying out. Looking back, she saw Hina running toward the bay at a full gallop before launching herself and spreading her wings. Flapping steadily and strongly, Hina rose high into the air and swiftly overtook Korra and Naga, Ryuukhan giving her a cheeky smirk over her back before turning his attention back to the mainland.

'Challenge accepted.' she thought and swept her arms more forcibly than before, quickening their pace across the bay.

For a moment, Korra could see the distance closing between her and Ryuukhan, but before long she could feel their momentum dwindle and the gap grow once more. Not to be deterred, she swept her arms again with even greater speed, closing the distance and coming up just below Hina's speckled stomach. But before they began losing momentum, Korra swept her arms back once more, bringing her and Naga up beneath Hina's massive muscular chest and shoulders. Exhaling hard, she swept her arms back as forcefully as she could, following Hina's long muscular neck, and with her strongest sweep yet, overtook the wyvern-hawk.

Looking back, she smirked in triumph at her brother…

…only to hear a sharp crack beneath her and Naga. Looking down, she saw that the ice had broken in two, and the polar bear dog began to buckle as the two halves floated out from beneath them.

Panicking, Korra shushed her frightened familiar as she leaped down, only to nearly slip off the ice herself before quickly grabbing the stirrup in Naga's saddle to regain her balance. Catching her breath, she hauled herself up as she felt water slosh around underfoot. Thinking quickly, she exhaled and swept her free hand under Naga's stomach, freezing the water but only partially sealing the break. Pulling herself along the side to Naga's shoulder, she froze the water again, concentrating her Bending on the middle to reinforce the ice. Seeing the ice take on a deep blue color, she continued her way to Naga's face and froze the ice a third time.

'How are we doing?' she thought as she looked frantically about. Much to her relief, the ice was a deep, solid blue and they were floating high out of the water while Naga had calmed considerably.

Sighing in relief, she looked back to the mainland and saw that Ryuukhan had already vanished from the sky, indicating that he had reached their destination already. Disappointed, Korra swept her arms to the side, resuming their course albeit at a slower pace.

'You win little bro.' she thought, eyes furrowed in thought. 'This time.'

-Line Break-

'I hope those two are all right.' Ryuukhan thought as he approached the coast. 'I heard that ice break from up there. They're strong swimmers but still…'

Concerned, he looked out over the bay and found to his great relief that Korra and Naga were still on their ice flow, slowly making their way across.

'Good work big sis.' he thought as he landed. 'Now to get some answers.'

Seeing the coast, he found the place in a state of disarray, with officers and civilians milling about in a frenzy. Turning to Police HQ, he was shocked to find that someone had crashed a Satomobile into the front gate, strewing the courtyard with debris and filling the air with the smell of oil and diesel. Looking closer, he found that the civilians were actually fighting the police, sending boulders and fireballs hurling through the air while the Police ducked and dodged with their cables.

'They're not civilians,' he realized as he dismounted. 'They're Triads.'

Looking around, he saw the Triads were slowly but surely pressing against the police, their numbers overwhelming the Metalbenders as the few still in the courtyard were pushed behind the crashed vehicle. Those in the windows shot out small darts of metal, embedding them into the arms and legs of the Triads, only to be met with fire-balls and pebbles that dinged their armor and helmets. Hearing a cracking and rumbling, he turned and saw the Triads erecting stone barriers just as another set of darts came flying from the windows only to be deflected or absorbed by the emergency defenses.

'At this rate we'll need military force to stop them.' he thought as he scanned the area. 'How could they have pulled this off?'

Before he could ponder over it further a Triad member saw him and cracked a wicked smirk at him. He was small, hardly taller than Ryuukhan himself, with a thin build and short black hair. His tunic was a brownish red, and his pants were solid black.

"Well, well, well," he said as he moved toward him. "What have we here? A wyvern-hawk and a little boy? This must be my lucky day."

Seeing him throw out a fire-punch, Ryuukhan ducked and rolled underneath and swept his legs out, sending a wave of fire at his target. The Triad member quickly jumped up but Ryuukhan, anticipating that, shot out a fire-punch and caught the man square in the stomach. As he fell to the ground Ryuukhan tackled him, grabbing his arm and pinning him on his back.

"Okay pal, I've got some questions for you!" Ryuukhan said as he pulled the man's arm over his back. "Answer them, or else!"

"Or else what?" the Triad member asked, gritting his teeth as he tried to break free.

"You really want me to answer that?" Ryuukhan asked, stretching the arm out painfully but taking care not to cause him too much pain.

"If I were you kid," he groaned through the pain. "I'd be more concerned about what my friends will do to you once they find out."

"But you're not me!" Ryuukhan retorted, stretching the arm further back. "So you wanna talk?"

"Oi!" a third voice cut in. "What are you doing with Tiny Tung?"

Looking up, Ryuukhan saw two more Triads members staring down at him, a look of confusion and exasperation on their faces. On the right he saw a large bearded man with a blood-red jacket with gold trim over black pants, and on the left he saw a woman with tanned skin and a dark green tunic and pants.

"Tiny Tung?" Ryuukhan repeated, sensing the anger and irritation from his first target. "That's who this is?"

"Yes, he's Tiny Tung!" the woman snapped, stomping the ground with her bare foot and sending a tremor through the ground. "What are you doing with him?!"

"Well, since you care so much," Ryuukhan replied. "He attacked me, I captured him and now I'm trying to interrogate him."

At this the two of them looked at each other with their eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"I knew this was a mistake." the man said, shaking his head. "Tiny Tung is too inexperienced."

"Wasn't it your job to watch him?" the woman sneered. "You were supposed to teach him the ropes and get him ready for this job."

"I only just started two weeks ago!" he snapped, turning red as a tomato-carrot. "How much do you think I can teach him in two weeks?!"

"Isn't fire the element of power?" she retorted. "Aren't Firebenders supposed to be full of drive and energy?"

"Will you two shut up and come help me?!" Tiny Tung yelled out, startling Ryuukhan, who then pulled hard eliciting a squeal of pain. "This kid's practically tearing my arm off!"

Shrugging her shoulders, the woman brought her foot down in a high ax kick, sending a wave of earth rippling toward them. Recognizing the attack, Ryuukhan released Tiny Tung and kicked up into the air, pushing the man down as a fissure opened up beneath him. Landing near Hina, Ryuukhan saw Tiny Tung fall into the fissure, becoming entombed up to his shoulders while the bearded man wound his hand for a punch, flames wreathing around his forearm.

In response, Ryuukhan ran forward, throwing out a barrage of fire-punches, taking the man off-guard and sending him stumbling back. Turning quickly, he saw the woman levitating a boulder about the size of his chest. Knowing what was coming, he ducked and swept his legs out, sending a wave of air at their legs, sweeping them off their feet and sending them tumbling to the ground.

Not missing a beat, Ryuukhan ran forward, nearly reaching them, and stomped hard, creating a narrow fissure that engulfed the man's right foot and left hand. Clamping his fist hard, the fissure closed shut, trapping him in the earth and keeping him pinned flat on the ground.

Turning his attention to the final opponent, Ryuukhan let forward a barrage of fire-punches, causing the woman to tumble back to regain distance. Stomping the ground, a large earthen wall emerged, shielding her from his attacks. In response, Ryuukhan ran toward the barrier and, assuming his horse stance, punched as hard as he could, causing a cloud of dust and gravel to fly up into his opponent's face.

Hearing her cough and spit, Ryuukhan wound up his arm and punched her hard with his strongest fire-punch. As she was sent tumbling to the ground, he stomped hard, creating a fissure that engulfed her foot. Clamping his hand, he closed it shut, but she simply elbowed the earth and reopened the fissure, freeing her foot.

"So that was you." she said as she flipped herself to her feet. "I thought you were a Firebender, but somehow you can Earthbend. This should be interesting."

Taking her stance, she stomped the ground and levitated five boulders around her. Ryuukhan tensed, anticipating an attack, but to his surprise she simply held them there.

For a moment, neither combatant moved or said anything. Eventually, losing patience Ryuukhan threw out a fire-ball, only for her to lazily move a boulder in the way of the attack. Frustrated, Ryuukhan unleashed a one-two punch combination, only for her to block each and every one of his attacks with a lazy wave of her arms.

Burning with rage, Ryuukhan charged forward and unleashed a raging fire-plume, forcing the woman to bring her arms together, conglomerating the boulders together into a single large shield. Seeing this, Ryuukhan raced up and vaulted over the boulder, flipping overhead and landing an ax-kick onto her back. Driving his foot hard, he sent her slamming into the boulder while he tumbled back to the ground.

Turning he saw her slide down to the ground in a crumpled heap, the boulder falling shortly afterward nearly crushing her skull. Seeing no movement from her, Ryuukhan cautiously moved toward her. As he approached, he grew increasingly anxious over her fate. Nearing the boulder he could make a streak of dark red trailing down to the woman.

'Did I…kill her?!' he wondered, his anxiety turning to panic. 'I didn't mean to kill her! I just…'

But before he could think or do anything further, he heard a rumble in the ground, and soon after he stumbled to one knee. Looking down, he saw that his foot had been swallowed up by a fissure, only for it to close shut before he could react.

"Can't believe you fell for that!" he heard a voice say. Looking up, he saw the woman standing before him, her face red from a bloodied gash in her forehead, and an insufferable smirk plastered on her lips.

"Your enemy is down for the count and what do you do?" she asked, tapping her chin in mock thought. "Immediately drop everything to help them? Stop and gawk at your good fortune? Go running off like a beheaded pig-chicken? Or finish them off while you still can?!"

On the last word, she clamped her fist hard, tightening the earth around Ryuukhan's foot, causing him to yell in pain. Retaliating, he wound up for a fire-punch, but she lazily twisted her hand, causing the earth to rotate under him, forcing him to hobble to the right and throwing his aim off.

"Needless to say, you do the last one!" she declared, stomping the ground and letting off a tremor that knocked Ryuukhan backward. Stomping again, she turned the earth underneath him to quicksand and he began to sink, first his arms, and then his legs. Feeling himself sinking, he tried desperately to pull himself up, but the harder he fought against the quicksand the deeper it pulled him under.

Feeling the sand encompass his chest, he pulled up with his last strength and managed to get one arm out. Flicking off the sand, he hit the ground with his elbow, trying to harden the earth, but he felt marginal resistance. Slamming his palm onto the earth, he twisted his hand, and managed to harden the ground enough to push off with that hand, but it only covered his forearm. Steeling his arm onto the hardened earth, he tried to pull his chest up out of the quicksand, and to his surprise he managed to pull his head and shoulders out into the open.

But then he felt the ground above his left arm harden, transforming from quicksand to sandstone. Furious, he punched the ground over and over, trying to break the stone, but all he managed were a few cracks, nowhere near enough to free him. Just as he began to pant, he felt the earth above his legs harden, trapping him in the earth.

"Too bad, little boy." the woman sneered. "This was actually pretty interesting. But it's over now."

"You have that right." a new voice tuned in. Looking up he saw the woman furrow her eyes in anger before a flash of bluish light appeared around her head, throwing her back a few steps. As she stumbled, Ryuukhan saw that her head had been encased in a block of ice, her face frozen in a look of surprise. Soon after, he saw that same light, which he realized was water, splash across her hands and feet, encasing them in ice and preventing her from movement or Bending.

"Thanks big sis." he sighed in relief as Korra and Naga appeared nearby.

"No problem, little brother." she said before firmly stomping the ground, loosening the stone back into quicksand. Squatting into her horse stance, Korra bent her arms close to her body before slowly lifting them up over her head. Underneath him, Ryuukhan felt the earth lift him up to the surface, leaving him tired and covered in sand and gravel.

"I hate sand." he muttered, shaking himself like Naga after a bath. "It gets everywhere."

"Let me help." Korra said, drawing water up from the bay. Extending her arms out while pivoting at her hips, the water washed over him, taking much of the sand off but leaving him soaked to the bone. Before he could react, he saw her twirl her arms around, cycling the water under his clothes to collect the sand under his clothes.

'Ohhh, that tickles' he thought, letting loose a laugh. 'It feels like thousands of snow-ants scurrying around under my shirt.'

Turning to Korra he watched as she then lowered her twirling arms, pulling the water down into his underwear making him yelp in surprise. Adding to his discomfort, Ryuukhan felt the water pool into his boots, the sand clogging every pore and chafing against his skin. Then, quick as a flash, Korra rocketed her arms upward, pulling the sandy water out of his boots and into the air, leaving him clean and dry.

'Did the sand HAVE to go through my backside again?' he thought, still trying to shake that memory out of his head.

"Did I get the sand out?" Korra asked, approaching her brother.

"Yes, yes you did." he replied, much to her relief. "I've GOT to learn that one."

Suddenly, he heard Naga growl, making him turn quickly and see that seven members of the Triads had arrived on the scene.

"I wondered what was taking these three so long," one of them said. He was wearing a blue jacket and pants with a white wide-brimmed hat. Flicking his arms out, he melted the ice off the woman who had nearly buried Ryuukhan alive.

"I'm going to give you one chance to turn yourselves in." Korra said, crossing her arms with a smirk. "You're already so close to Police HQ, so just walk that little extra distance."

Hearing this, the Triads simply laughed before getting into their fighting stances.

"This is gonna be fun!" a large man in brown and green yelled as he stomped the ground.

Seeing this, Ryuukhan threw a fire-ball, only for a man in red and gold to intercept it. With the battle on, Ryuukhan tumbled to the side and unleashed a fire-plume, forcing the Firebender to dodge his attack.

Catching movement from the corner of his eye, Ryuukhan saw the Earthbender from before launching a boulder at him. Seeing the boulder was too large to dodge, he dug into his horse-stance and held out his fist, intercepting the boulder. The sheer mass forced him across the ground, his boots burning from the friction, but to his surprise he managed to stop it.

Exhilarated by his success, he punched the boulder…only to yell in pain at the impact. Breathing hard, he centered himself and tried again. But the only reward he received was the pain shooting through his arm once again. Flexing his hand, he found to his great relief that none of the bones had been broken, though he could feel his left arm beginning to feel that same familiar fatigue from his training sessions.

'Not now!' he thought furiously. 'I gotta help my sister!'

Breathing quickly for a moment, he resumed his horse-stance, rooting himself to the ground. Locking eyes on the boulder, he pulled his arms to his sides before, exhaling hard, he stomped the ground hard and shot his arms out in a double punch.

This time, to his astonishment, the boulder flew outwards at incredible speed. Smiling ecstatically, he ran around the flying boulder and saw that the Triads were too busy fighting Korra to see the incoming projectile. But before he could fully appreciate his work, a flash of white caught the corner of his eye and he ducked to the ground, just barely dodging the attack. As he rolled across the ground he heard the crackle of electricity overhead and smelled fresh ozone.

'I just dodged lightning!' he realized. 'I had no idea the Triads had a Lightning-Bender!'

Looking up he saw a man with gray and white hair in a long, indigo overcoat with gold shoulders and cuffs, his fingers outstretched in Ryuukhan's direction. Leaping up he shot out a fire-ball, but the man simply batted it aside before shooting out one of his own. Just then, Ryuukhan heard the tell-tale boom of an Earthbender levitating a rock to his right, right before he caught a glimpse of frozen shards flying from his left.

'Not good!' he thought, seeing the attacks converging on his position.

Just as he began to panic, he automatically pivoted on one foot, slipping between the frozen shards and the flames as they converged behind him. Nigh seamlessly, he sidestepped the incoming boulder, catching a glimpse of the Earthbender's baffled expression before pivoting away. Nearby, he heard the crackle of fire-balls and frozen ice and he instinctively assumed an Airbender stance. Deftly sidestepping the ice shards before piroquetting around the fire-balls, he then slipped between a pair of boulders before rolling beneath a third. Hearing the earth rumble, he pushed off with one hand, launching himself into the air, he then unleashed a set of fire-balls from his feet.

As the projectiles flew toward the Earthbender, Ryuukhan turned toward the others and saw the Firebender shoot his largest fire-ball yet with a roar of rage. Twirling his arms like Katara would, Ryuukhan caught the fire-ball, letting it encircle him in a fiery aura before punching hard, adding his own fire to the Firebender's attack. The magnified fire-ball struck the Waterbender hard, just as Ryuukhan landed while the distinct sound of steam hissing reached his ears. Seeing his chance, Ryuukhan charged forward and punched the Firebender hard in the jaw, sending him reeling for a moment. Enraged, the Firebender threw his own punch, fire blazing at his fingertips, but Ryuukhan parried it and struck him in the throat, leaving him choking and gasping for breath.

Frozen momentarily in shock, Ryuukhan could only stare as the Firebender collapsed to the ground. But before he could do more, he heard the earth tremble and groan nearby. Turning, he saw a wave of earth coming toward him at surprising speed. Without thinking, he vaulted onto the wave of earth, but as he stepped onto the crest, his foot unexpectedly sank, breaking his stride and making him fall into the earth. Falling into the surprisingly soft earth, he felt his arms sink underneath him, leaving his face just above the earth from the nose up.

'Not this again!' he thought angrily as he tried to pull himself out of the quicksand. Rolling himself over, he grimaced as the wet, viscous sand stuck to his hair and clothes but he soon felt firm ground underneath him. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up against the quicksand, only to feel the sand beneath one foot harden, trapping it in the earthen wave.

Realizing the tactic, he punched the earth, trying to break up the stone, but only managed to hurt his hand. Exhaling hard, he punched again, but all he could feel was the stone digging into his hand while pain shot up his arm. Rubbing his hands together, he started punching the ground with both fists, one after the other, trying desperately to break the rock, but all he got for his trouble was winded and tired.

'Come on!' he thought angrily. 'Come on!'

Raising his arms up for another strike, he suddenly felt the earth halt, causing him to stumble once again into the quicksand, much to his annoyance. Hooking his free leg around his trapped foot, he managed to pull himself up into a kneeling position, where he found that the earth wave had stopped just at the edge of the beach.

'That was too close!' he realized, raising his fists with renewed urgency. 'Better get myself out of this fast!'

Just then he felt the earth crumble beneath him and he tumbled down to the beach, landing flat on his back while the waves just touched the top of his head. Hearing footfalls, he launched himself up onto his feet into his fighting stance and found himself staring into the hard face of Chief Beifong.

"Spirits, please give me strength." she muttered in annoyance, planting her face into her palm. "I should have known you and your sister would be here."

"Ryuukhan, I know you want to help, and that you can fight." she began, doing her best to be patient. "But this is illegal, and above all highly dangerous. Remember the last time you fought criminals?"

"Chief Beifong!" a voice cut in, a gruff male voice. It was a policeman, a head taller than Tenzin and surprisingly lithe, with long arms and legs that seemed almost comically under-sized compared to his metallic pauldrons.

"Muko, what's going on?" Beifong asked.

"We just received word from City Hall," Muko replied. "They're under attack from the Triads!"

Hearing this, Ryuukhan frantically looked for Hina, and spotted her near their landing point, but something was wrong. She was rearing up, with her wings flared out, and she was trying to crash down on something, or someone.

Realizing the situation, he ran toward her, blatantly ignoring Beifong yelling after him. Coming upon her location he found two men, hunkered down behind an earthen wall while Hina tried again and again to break it down with her beak.

'Make those three men.' he amended when he heard pained groaning from a prone figure on the sand, hands tightly covering the eyes. 'Guess Hina got him good. But now I gotta take care of them.'

Dropping down to the ground, he crawled toward the men, taking care to move as quietly as possible while making his way behind them. Coming across a low sand dune, he cautiously peeked out and surveyed the situation.

'Clearly one's an Earthbender.' he thought. 'That stone wall is a dead giveaway. I've no idea what the other one is, but I'm not going to take any chances. I'll end this as quickly as possible.'

Breathing deep to steady his nerves, he crawled out from behind the sand dune, slowly inching his way toward a bush of sand-tumbleweed, the dry plants blocking him from their view. Locking eyes on his first target, he charged out and swung hard, striking one hard in the jaw and slamming his head into the earthen wall.

Not missing a beat, he then grabbed the man from behind the neck, leaving behind a large dent in the wall, and pulled him in front just as a fire-ball landed on the man's shirt pushing them back. Digging his feet in, Ryuukhan charged, using the man as a human barrier before tripping on his groaning companion.

Tumbling forward, Ryuukhan kicked outward, sweeping his opponent's leg and sending him sprawling onto the ground. Scrambling forward, he wrapped his arm around the man's neck and locked him in a choke-hold. Wrapping his legs around the man's waist and immobilizing his left arm, Ryuukhan squeezed the carotid arteries and held on for dear life even as the man struggled.

After trying to free his left arm, the Firebender tried prying Ryuukhan's arm from his chokehold, but Ryuukhan simply squeezed harder. The Firebender then began flailing his legs, trying to get them underneath them to stand up or dislodge Ryuukhan, but the combined weight was too much. In desperation, he took in a deep breath, and exhaled hard, infusing his chi into his breath and igniting it.

Even through his fur parka, which was specially prepared for maximum insulation, Ryuukhan could feel the heat of the fire-breath. But instead of releasing his grip, he tightened it further and soon the fire-breath weakened, subsiding until not even smoke remained.

'It shouldn't be much longer.' Ryuukhan realized, seeing the man's efforts slacken, his legs kicking feebly while his arm flailed about like a willow-weed in the wind. Soon after, the man stopped moving altogether.

'Better be safe.' he thought, listening intently. Much to his relief, he could hear the man breathing, albeit slow and rasping, but there nonetheless. Cautiously, Ryuukhan disentangled himself and, inhaling deeply, punched the ground hard, forming a small fissure in the earth. Disappointed by the depth, he punched again, and again, and again until he figured it was the right depth. Shoving the man's hands into the fissure, he stomped the ground, closing the fissure tightly and immobilizing him.

"Ryuukhan, there you are!" a voice, Lin Beifong, cut in. "I haven't finished speaking with you!"

"Chief, is it true that City Hall is under attack?" Ryuukhan asked, cutting her off.

"According to Muko yes," she replied, momentarily confused only for her steely gaze to return. "You had better NOT be thinking what I think you're thinking!"

"What do you think I am thinking?" Ryuukhan asked as he vaulted over the earthen wall to Hina, stroking her neck to calm her.

"I think you're thinking about heading to City Hall for a rescue." Beifong answered, pulling her arm back.

"You're only half-right," Ryuukhan said as he climbed onto Hina's back. "I am going to City Hall for reconnaissance. I'll fly over, take a look, and then fly back to report on the situation."

"Unacceptable!" Beifong yelled, incredulous at the idea. "You have no idea how many of them there are! Or what you'll find when you get there!"

"You're right, I don't." Ryuukhan shrugged before pointing behind her and Muko. "But right now you've got bigger issues to worry about, like that squad of Triad members coming our way."

As she and Muko turned Ryuukhan pulled in Hina's reins and kicked her in the side, signaling her to gallop. As her wings pushed off the earthen wall, he called out "Tell Korra about City Hall!".

Launching herself into the air, Hina spread her wings, forcing the Triads to take cover as she glided overhead. Flapping hard to gain altitude, Hina soon fell into gliding mode, letting the wind carry her aloft. Passing the airships, Ryuukhan deftly maneuvered between them, grinning when he caught sight of the bewildered police officers inside.

'Well, that was fun,' he thought. 'Now, what's happening at City Hall.'

-Line Break-

'They just keep coming!' Tenzin thought, ducking underneath yet another boulder flying his way. 'How could this have happened?!'

As he heard the boulder smash a glass window, he felt the wind tremble through his scalp, making him pivot just before a large fire-ball collided with him. Gathering the wind around him, Tenzin managed to deflect the fire-ball into one of the attacking Triad members, forcing them back before unleashing his own counterattack.

Watching the Firebender fly backwards and hit the wall, he took stock of his surroundings and found, much to his exasperation, that the whole guard had been taken out while only four of the original sixteen or twenty Triad members had been defeated. Now it was just him and the other Councilors holding their own, outnumbered four to one.

Vaulting over another boulder he caught a glimpse of the Earthbender behind it, and his eyes widened in shock and fear. It was Akuru, one of the most dangerous Earthbenders in the underworld. While he lacked the finesse of Lin Beifong, or the creativity of King Bumi, or Toph's talent and insight, he made up for it in sheer power and brutality. It was rumored that he literally ground people into dust using rocks and boulders, starting with their limbs and working his way inward to their vital organs. To make matters worse he could use the earth to seal the wounds and stop his victims from passing out or dying from blood loss, all to make it last longer.

'To think that HE would be here.' he thought as he pivoted in response to another attack. 'But he's supposed to be with the Terra Triads, and they despise the others. So why is he here with a Firebender?'

Before he could ponder the situation any further, he found Akuru had sent a massive boulder but just as he was about to dodge it, Akuru broke it apart into dozens of smaller rocks and formed them into a sort of earthen flower with the pedals flaring out.

'They're too large for me to jump over, or duck under!' he grimly realized, sweat beading down his brow. 'And if I try going through them I'll get caught! Think, Tenzin! Think!'

Seeing the boulders closing in around him, Tenzin desperately spun his arms and hands, gathering the wind into a vortex between his palms. Scanning quickly, he threw the ball toward his left, knocking a boulder aside and opening a gap in the flower formation. Sweeping his arms behind him he took off at a run, accelerating far faster than a human should have been able to and easily making it through the gap.

'Glad my father taught me the Wind Sprint.' he thought as he heard the boulders slam into the wall, glass shattering and metal screeching.

Turning to Akuru, he found the hulking Earthbender levitating a group of rocks overhead. In response, Tenzin prepared to dodge them, but to his surprise Akuru just stood there, levitating the boulder.

'What's this?' Tenzin wondered, holding his stance. 'Why hasn't he attacked me?'

For a moment, a long moment, neither Bender did anything but stare each other down, the sounds of battle ringing out around them in the background. Eyes locked, they waited for what seemed like ten thousand lifetimes, sweat beading on their foreheads and muscles tense.

Just then, Tenzin heard a loud bang behind him before being blasted forward. Skittering across the ground, he found himself at the mercy of a sneering Akuru. Just as he moved to escape, he saw a flash of muddy-brown and felt Akuru's rocks drop onto his hands and feet, pinning him to the ground.

"Not very bright." Akuru said, his deeply accented voice rumbling like a rockslide. "I thought Airbenders were fast and all about different angles. Oh well, I'll get a bonus for this."

"A bonus from who?" Tenzin asked as he tried to free himself.

"You're my prisoner!" Akuru roared like a volcano. "I ask the questions! Now let's start with a simple one."

But before Akuru could ask any questions, a whirring sound cut through the din of the battle. Confused, Akuru turned away only for a fast moving object to slam into his head near the eye. Screaming in pain, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his eye as blood and fluid ran between his fingers.

Looking above his prone enemy, Tenzin saw a large, winged shape glide overhead, flying west back to the coast. As it passed over City Hall, he heard it give a screech followed by a hooping yell from an all-too familiar voice.

'Ryuukhan, you foolish boy!' he thought angrily as he struggled to get free. Fortunately, Akuru, still clutching his eye, had not noticed Tenzin freeing one of his arms. Wincing as he cut himself, Tenzin saw his torn sleeve opening up to a bloody gash in his forearm. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the rock pinning his other arm and, heaving with all his might, flung it toward Akuru, striking him in the chest and knocking him flat on the pavement.

Not missing a beat, Tenzin rolled over, freeing himself from Akuru's earthen prison and sprinted forward just as Akuru regained his footing. Just as Akuru launched a rock, Tenzin swept his arms and ducked underneath, gathering wind into a vortex and sending it into the Earthbender. Seeing this, Akuru threw up a wall from the pavement with an uppercut, blocking Tenzin's attack before launching an explosive barrage of rocks.

Instinctively, Tenzin began bobbing and weaving around the attacks, gathering wind in his hands and compressing it into a fist-sized vortex while slowly closing the distance. As Akuru launched the last of his rocks, Tenzin, mere inches from him, swept his arms back from behind and threw his whirling vortex directly into Akuru's chest. The Earthbender, winded by the attack, collapsed once again, his breath coming in short and shallow.

Determined to end the fight, Tenzin swept his arms and launched Akuru hundreds of feet into the nearest wall, the metal bending under the impact before he fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Inhaling deeply to catch his breath, Tenzin took stock of his surroundings and found that much to his surprise, Tarrlok was the only one still standing, grinning in triumph. Looking around he found the rest of the combatants had fallen all around him, their forms prone on the ground.

'How did that…?' he wondered briefly before heading over. Checking their necks, he found that they were still alive, much to his relief.

"Don't worry, they'll live." Tarrlok reassured. "Dead men tell no tales after all."

"They're still men Tarrlok." Tenzin frowned. "We shouldn't be so flippant with their lives."

"They may be men," Tarrlok replied. "But they're men who chose the way of crime."

"We don't know how or why they did so." Tenzin countered. "They might have chosen crime out of desperation or coercion."

"And they might have done so out of greed or pleasure." Tarrlok argued. "But we didn't have time to try and differentiate between them. If it's a choice between a criminal and an innocent, who would you choose? Would you really sacrifice an innocent life to protect a guilty one?"

"We were NOT in that situation!" Tenzin snapped, furious at the insinuation. "And our primary duty should be to AVOID that situation by any means necessary!"

"Tenzin!" a voice called in, cutting off Tarrlok. Turning they saw Korra riding in on Naga, while above her was Ryuukhan gliding in on Hina. Hearing motor engines, they saw two police vans following them, their sirens roaring loud and clear.

"Korra! Ryuukhan!" Tenzin called out as they arrived. "What are you doing here?"

"We saw smoke and came to check it out." Korra replied, riding up to Tenzin. "And a good thing too. Ryuukhan had to bail you out."

"I assure you we had everything under control." Tenzin replied stiffly.

"Really?" Korra asked. "So was getting pinned part of your genius plan?"

"That's not the issue here!" Tenzin snapped. "The issue is that you came into a dangerous situation without consulting me or Chief Beifong! You two are supposed to be training, not getting involved in police matters!"

"But didn't Sifu Ru'pik state that experience is the best teacher?" Ryuukhan asked. "So if experience is the best teacher, then shouldn't we be getting some?"

"Yes, he did say that." Tenzin said. "And I've never said that that wasn't the case. What I have said is that you need to think before you act."

Just then, they heard the roar of an engine cut in, capturing everyone's attention and spooking Hina and Naga. As Korra and Ryuukhan worked to calm them down, Tenzin turned and saw a lithe figure in burgundy red jump off a motorcycle. Whipping off the helmet, a head of long, lustrous black hair flowed out, and beneath were a pair of bright, golden eyes.

"Asami!" Tenzin burst out, recognizing her at once. "What are you doing here?!"

"Tenzin, thank goodness I've reached you!" Asami cried out running over to him. "It's the mansion!"

"Why? What happened?" Tenzin asked.

"We were attacked!" Asami replied. "Xin and I were going over some assignments when we heard the windows break and before we knew it, the mansion was being stormed! I don't know how they bypassed the guards, but Xin and I ran out as soon as we could. We first ran to Dad's office, but when we got there we found two men carrying him out over their shoulders. I didn't recognize them so we snuck out and grabbed a motorbike."

"I had to fight off a few of them, but we managed to get to the garage." she continued grabbing her breath. "But as we were racing off, we saw them man-handle Dad into the back of a truck and take off. I don't know where they've gone!"

"First Police HQ, then City Hall, then the Sato Estate." Tenzin said, eyes furrowing in thought. "How could this have happened? And why would they attack so many targets at once?"

"No idea, but perhaps we can ask them." Tarrlok cut in, gesturing to the fallen Triads members.

"Leave that to us." Chief Beifong cut in as she exited the first van. "I'll assure you that we will find out everything we can."

"Well that's settled." Tarrlok said. "I'll stay and oversee the prisoners and handle any issues that come up. In the meantime, you four can go to the Sato Estate and try to find out what's going on."

"Sounds like a plan." Korra said, cutting Tenzin off. "I'll take Tenzin and head back with Asami. Ryuukhan can fly ahead and check on things. If there's anything wrong, he can warn us before we get too close."

"Sure thing sis!" Ryuukhan replied before turning Hina out toward open ground.

"Run!" he yelled, setting her off in a gallop before taking off.

"Korra, I must advise against this." Tenzin began. "We have no idea what we may find there."

"No, but we can't find out by staying here." Korra replied before reaching out her hand. "Hop on."

Sighing, Tenzin grasped her hand and pulled himself onto Naga's back, settling in while Asami started up the motorbike. The engine roaring to life, Asami led them down the street, while Korra flicked Naga's reins and set off behind them.

Along the way, Tenzin noted the eerily quiet and empty streets, the traffic reduced to a few trams and the occasional emergency response vehicle. Surprisingly though, he saw no evidence of Triad attacks beyond City Hall. No broken windows or doors. No burning buildings or overturned vehicles. No people lying dead or beaten on the streets.

'They ignored all the shops and vendors?' he thought bewildered. 'They had a prime opportunity to loot and extort and they didn't take it? That's not normal behavior for the Triads. What is going on?'

-Line Break-

Author's Notes: Yeah it took me a while to get this written. Part of it was real life issues, as well as a large amount of writer's block.

I originally thought about having Xin stumble upon some dark secret and having her being kidnapped in the attack, but I thought that was kinda cliche so I switched it to Mr Sato instead.

On another note, the poll on how Amon should make his debut will close soon. And you know what that means?

So please review and leave feedback. And thank you for your patience.